In March of 2013, I had the extraordinary privilege to go alongside Dr. JL Williams and his wife, Patt, with a small team of Americans to document a unique trip in remote parts of Kenya, including the villages of Kurungu and South Horr. JL Williams is a missionary who has been traveling to Kenya for many years, along with countless other countries across the world. His key focus on relationships has enabled him to have great influence and impact in each place he visits. This particular trip to Kenya was unique because for the first time, in collaboration with local Kenyans, they were holding a conference specifically for the women of the Samburu tribe. I was the lucky girl with the dream job of documenting each moment.
The women’s conference lasted one week. Meanwhile, we also visited a few villages and spent time with the Samburu Warriors as they performed their traditional dances. It was very evident that the roles and expectations in their traditional culture are very clear. Only a portion of the population becomes educated, most of which are men. From a very young age, both boys and girls embrace their roles in the community. Boys are expected to herd camel or goats, while the girls help their mothers, often by carrying their younger siblings on their backs all day. As they mature, boys become men once they successfully undergo circumcision at around age 15, at which point they become warriors. They remain warriors until they are in their later twenties, at around the time they are allowed to marry the eligible younger teenage girls. Men are permitted to have multiple wives, and often they desire to be with the younger women, eventually causing a lot of the older women to be left abandoned.
From a young age, girls are taught the necessary responsibilities of keeping a house, cooking and caring for the family. Before they marry, they must also undergo circumcision to ensure that they are faithful to their husbands. Unlike the men, they are expected to have one husband in their lifetime. With more education, these types of controversial traditions are slowly fading with time. Of course, education comes with a price, but is sought out by many of the people.
While their culture is far different than ours, it was amazing to see how we are all very much the same at the core of who we are as humans. It’s really a beautiful thing. We all bleed, cry, laugh, and want to be known and loved. The friendships we created simply by smiling, laughing, loving and serving one another, and participating in the culture became the fertile ground to open up the photographic opportunities. Photography wasn’t first, and it shouldn’t ever be.
